Mayor Bowser Kicks Off ‘June Housing Bloom’

Month-long initiative focuses on affordable housing, begins with major opportunity to develop 25 properties across the District.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — Mayor Muriel Bowser launched the first annual ‘June Housing Bloom’, a month-long initiative that showcases how the public and private sectors are partnering to produce and preserve affordable housing, and revitalize neighborhoods across the District.

To kick off the month, the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is releasing five Solicitations for Offers (SFOs) for the development of 25 District-owned properties in Wards 4, 5, 7 and 8. The goal is to build projects that promote vibrant, walkable, mixed-use and mixed-income neighborhoods, and combat blight in the District.

“Since day one, my Administration has been working hard to give every Washingtonian a fair shot. That includes giving residents access to safe and affordable housing—no matter their zip code,” said Mayor Bowser. “June Housing Bloom will highlight the important work we are doing to expand affordable housing in our city, spur development in underserved communities, and ensure residents of all backgrounds can continue to call the District home.”

June Housing Bloom is designed to complement National Homeownership Month, with a targeted focus on housing-related initiatives and successes within the District. Events will spotlight efforts to advance five key priorities: (1) Producing affordable housing; (2) Preserving affordable housing; (3) Increasing homeownership; (4) Ending homelessness; and (5) Finding solutions to vacant and blighted properties.

Key events for the month include:

DHCD’s Eighth Annual DC Housing Expo and Home Show, co-hosted by the Greater Washington Urban League, on June 11.

An Economic Intelligence Roundtable on housing data, hosted by the Deputy Mayor’s Office on Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) and the DC Chamber of Commerce, on June 17.

A June 20 groundbreaking ceremony at Plaza West, a project that will provide over 220 units of affordable housing — including 50 affordable units for grandparents raising grandchildren.

Since taking office, Mayor Bowser has made affordable housing a major focus of her administration. The District has added more than 3,400 total affordable housing units between July 2014 and July 2015. And over 5,300 units of affordable housing currently exist in the pipeline, which will house nearly 12,000 District residents.

Earlier this year, the mayor announced nearly $90 Million in affordable housing opportunities that will provide more than 800 affordable housing units for an estimated 1,760 DC residents. These units are being funded by the Housing Production Trust Fund, part of the historic $100 million commitment the Mayor has made in her budget each year.

Not only is this commitment historic for the District, it is unprecedented among US cities. The nation’s capital leads most states in housing trust fund investment. Out of four states that reported collecting more than $50 million in FY2015—Florida, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut—only Florida exceeded the District’s $100 million investment.

To further these efforts during ‘June Housing Bloom’, DHCD will continue to partner with the DC Housing Authority, DC Housing Finance Agency and other organizations to identify, promote and expand housing opportunities in the District.

A pre-bid meeting for the 25 properties announced today will be held at 10 am, Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at DHCD’s Housing Resource Center, 1800 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. For the first time, all properties will be available online and the deadline for submitting proposals is 4 pm, Thursday, September 1, 2016.

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